Tape measuring devices are well known and extensively used in the construction industry and in various other related fields. A tape measuring device which has found wide acceptance among professionals comprises a graduated flexible steel tape wound onto a reel which is mounted into a housing made of any suitable material such as plastic or metal. The reel is controlled by a spring winding mechanism which maintains the tape into recoiled position, when not in use. To extend a length of tape out of the housing, a free end of the tape is manually pulled out against the resiliency of the winding mechanism. For convenience, it is customary to provide the tape measuring device with a stop button for blocking the graduated tape in extended position against the pulling force exerted by the winding mechanism. When it is desired to retract the tape, the stop is released and the tape is automatically pulled back in the housing.
It is common practice, when using a tape measuring device, to simultaneously measure and mark out the measured surface with a pen or pencil. With a tape measuring device of the type described above, this is achieved by holding with one hand the housing of the tape measuring device, while the other hand holds the free end of the graduated tape and the pen or pencil. Obviously, this operation is rather difficult to perform and requires a considerable degree of manual dexterity on the part of the worker.